Keeping Fundraising Safe and Legal

The safety of the event should always be made priority. As a fundraiser, you will need to ensure that your fundraising event is safe to everyone, and you must carry out a risk assessment beforehand. 

When planning your event, you must consider:

• if you need to seek medical advice from a professional beforehand
• If you need any first aid assistance at your event
• if your even needs any liability insurance cover.

If you are holding a small raffle at your fundraising event, you do not need a licence as the draw will take place in the event itself. 

A licence is required if you plan to sell raffle tickets in advance of the event. For more information email events@autismni.org. 

For guidelines and advice on holding raffles, contact your local licensing authority or the Gambling Commission.

It is advised that when fundraisers are handling cash that they count it in a safe and secure environment. 

All cash boxes used must have a lock or seal on it while collecting fundraising monies. Autism NI has sealed buckets in stock for supporters to use. Please email events@autismni.org to request these buckets. 

Cash should be collected, counted, transported, banked and recorded by two individuals. When taking it to the bank, please ensure it is bagged, sealed and disguised. 

Before sending in fundraising monies, please ensure cash is stored securely in a safe place until it is banked. 

All cash donations should be banked the same day they are collected, or at least within 2 working days. Fundraisers should not hold fundraising cash for a long period of time.

Children under 16 MUST NOT be left with any responsibility for handling, counting or collecting fundraising money.  

If you are planning on holding a fundraising event that involves members of the public being in attendance, then you will need public liability insurance. This can be purchased from an insurance company or broker. Autism NI is not responsible for purchasing public liability insurance for third party events (events organised by supporters).

Check with the owners of your event venue or supplier, as they may have insurance that will already cover you.

Collections can only be made by people who are age 16 or older. 

To collect money in a public place, e.g. a supermarket, you must get permission from that premises. If you would like to hold a street collection, you will need to get a permit from the PSNI. 

Autism NI does not participate in door-to-door collections and does not hold a license for our supporters to do this also.

For more information on planning a collection, please email events@autismni.org. 

If you are selling food or drink at your fundraising event, food safety laws do apply. Please visit food.gov.uk for more information. 

If you are selling alcohol, you may need an additional licence unless your venue already has one to cover your event. 

There may be an age restriction on some fundraising activities or events carried out. These include:

• street collections
• lotteries or raffles
• events involving alcohol.

If children can attend your fundraising event, please ensure that they are supervised and it is held in a safe environment. Where children are included, it is important that you:

• ensure there is an adult with them to help them with their fundraising
• ensure that the parent/guardian has given permission for their child to take part in any photography at the event. 
• For full guidance on children and fundraising, please refer to the Fundraising Regulator Code.

Please ensure that you look into licenses and permits before undertaking any activities including: 

• entertainment
• a raffle, lottery or auction 
• a money collection 
• putting banners up in public spaces
• Handing out leaflets in public spaces.

Your local authority will also be able to tell you what licence is required for your particular event.  

• All your promotional activity and materials for your fundraising event should make it clear that you are fundraising “in aid of” Autism NI, and that this is not one of the Charity’s organised events.
• We have a range of branded materials and merchandise that you can use at your event. 
• If you plan on producing your own materials, contact our Fundraising team for the Autism NI supporter logo. You must not use our main Autism NI logo.  
• We would also advise adding the following statement to any of your own materials: Autism NI is a registered charity in Northern Ireland (NIC100240)